More than one way to shock a Dixon
by IrishLove22
Summary: This is a story in which Daryl figures out that Beth is having feelings for him even before she does. Now what to do about it? Authors note: This is my first time writing any type of fan fiction, have been reading some great stories out here and just felt compelled to tell my own. This is a Daryl/Beth story. Please review, let me know what you think and if I should write more!
1. Chapter 1

**Daryl**

Daryl Dixon was irritated, and that wasn't good for anybody. He usually kept to himself and was, for the most part, quiet and easy to live with. He didn't bother anyone who didn't bother him. How difficult was that? So when he was grumpy and snapped at anyone who spoke to him, everyone was on edge. He knew he was being grouchy, but he just couldn't seem to help it. The damn girl was acting really strange around him and he couldn't for his life figure out why. He had never done anything to make Beth think he would hurt her, or he didn't think he had. Sure, he was pretty rough around the edges and everyone had seen him lose his temper from time to time, but he had never been a man to hurt women or children and he sure wasn't about to start now. He could understand if she had seen him blow his top over something recently, but that was just it, he hadn't had a reason to work up a good temper in quite some time. Things at the prison might not be ideal, but as the winter set in there were fewer walkers than before and the people from Woodbury were finally settling in and pulling their own weight. Sure was nice to have those young men to help with the labor, made things easier on him, Rick, and Glen.

_That must be it. _The young men from Woodbury.

He had noticed a couple of them trying to work up excuses to talk to Beth and spend time with her. He hadn't figured it was any of his business. But now that he thought about it, that _was _when she had started spending more time hanging closer to him. She wasn't too obvious about it, just seemed to be behind him a lot whenever he turned around, coming up with reasons to talk to him that kept him closer to her, especially when they were outside or on guard watch. Except whenever he turned around too quickly or even just accidentally brushed her arm when he passed by her, she jumped and jerked away like he had burned her. Or like someone had hit her.

Like someone had hurt her.

Daryl's blood began to boil as he realized what he had been too _stupid_ to see.

She was sticking close to him for _protection._

If one of them had hurt her….or even tried….

He would make whoever it was so sorry they would wish they had never made it out of that hellhole of a town with the Governor.

**Beth**

She was at the long end of the cellblock taking out supplies to help Carol start dinner for everyone when she felt the atmosphere of the place change. Suddenly everyone was frozen. Looking up quickly, nerves on high alert, she realized there was no real danger. Not walker kind of danger, anyway. Daryl had stormed into the other end of the room and the look on his face was pure fury. Everyone was quiet, conversations halted in mid-sentence, as he strode into the room, eyes scanning over the crowd.

_Oh my he was breathtaking. _

_Where the HELL had that come from?_

She didn't know what he was upset about but the sight of him worked into such a state was enough to make her catch her breath. She had always felt safe around Daryl; he had more than proven that he was capable of keeping himself and the group safe from danger. But lately, for some reason she had not yet figured out, he made her nervous. Whenever he got close to her she got an uneasy kind of quiver deep in her stomach and felt like she was ready to crawl out of her skin. He had never frightened her and she knew rationally that he would protect her and the rest of the family with his life, but she couldn't seem to control the jumpiness she felt when he was near.

And he was coming closer. He was headed straight for her. She felt her heart speed up and it was suddenly hard to breathe. She felt the blood draining from her face.

"Need to talk to you, little one" he snapped as soon as he was close enough for her to hear him without having to raise his voice. Carol rose up from behind the counter and started to say something when Rick stepped up behind Daryl and beat her to it.

"Whatever you need to talk about can wait until you calm down, Daryl". The even, low tone of Rick's voice was almost as frightening as Daryl's anger.

"This ain't about you, Rick, and I don't need to _calm down, _I need Beth here to explain something to me." The words were almost a snarl. He clearly did not welcome Rick's interference.

Explain? Her? What could she possibly have to explain to Daryl Dixon?

Rick dropped his voice and leaned in a little closer to Daryl, noticing that everyone was listening in and trying to keep the conversation as private as possible. She admired his courage; _she_ would certainly have never gotten that close to an angry Daryl.

"Can't you see you've got her scared half to death, Daryl? You come storming in here with that crossbow on your back and murder in your eyes and everyone is holding their breath. Look at her! She's white as a sheet! Now CALM DOWN."


	2. Chapter 2

**Daryl**

For the second time that day Daryl felt like a fool. Of course he had scared her. Who knew what she had already suffered at the hands of one or more of those assholes from Woodbury and here he was raging in here raising his voice.

_Shit. _He wasn't used to watching out for young girls feelings and had never cared if anyone was scared of him before. Matter of fact, he usually preferred that people have a good healthy respect for him, kept them from trying to get too close. She must see him as a little dangerous. Other wise she wouldn't have chosen him for protection. That .357 Rick carried was more than enough firepower to keep anyone from hurting her and _he _was the father figure of the group, not Daryl. And then there was her own father, Hershel. You never should underestimate an old man, especially if you were threatening his daughter. She could have gone to either one of them for help and the problem would have been solved immediately. So why would she choose him, and why not tell him what was going on? He would take care of whoever it was that had her scared, and God help the jerk if he had actually put his hands on her. After growing up with Buck and Merle, Daryl felt strongly about men who hit women and children. Those were the worst kinds of assholes, the ones who hurt people who were weaker than them just because they could. Before the world went to shit he had been in more than one bar fight because some maggot thought he had a right to strike a woman. He had even saved one girl out behind a bar he had just been thrown out of. As he picked himself up off the ground he heard a commotion from behind the dumpster and got there just in time to stop her very drunk boyfriend from raping her.

_Oh Fuck. What if someone had raped her?_

A new wave of fury shot through him and he tasted blood in his mouth. Dammit, he had clenched his jaw so hard he had bitten his cheek. He felt Rick's hand on his arm, pulling him away from the women. Looking up he saw that he had drawn a crowd and Hershel was standing just a few steps behind Rick, watching him closely with a concerned look on his face.

"Come on outside, Daryl, and let's talk about this" Rick said. He jerked loose from Rick's hold and turned back to Beth, his voice as low and calm as he could manage to get it.

"I won't never hurt you, little bit. After dinner, come find me. I'll be in the tower, watching."

**Beth**

After Beth watched Daryl spin around and storm back out of the cell block the same way he had come in, she tried to catch her breath and turn her attention back to making dinner but couldn't calm her shaking hands. The room that had been so silent only moments before suddenly was buzzing with conversation as everyone tried to figure out what Daryl's problem was. Rick leaned across the table, placing his hand over hers, putting the knife she was peeling potatoes with carefully down.

"Are you ok? You know he would never hurt you, right? He isn't that kind of man." The look of concern in his eyes was enough to make her want to cry. She fought back the tears, feeling shaky and very small.

"I know that. I'm not really afraid of him, but even you have to admit that Daryl all worked up is pretty damn intimidating." She tried to smile, to ease his worry, but it came out more like a grimace.

"Yeah, I suppose he is. Any idea what he's so upset about?" Rick asked, tilting his head to the side in that Rick kind of way.

"No, no idea. I can't think of anything I have done to anger him. He said I needed to explain something to him but I can't imagine what it would be." Her voice quivered as she answered him, trying to think really quickly of anything she could have said or done to upset Daryl. Most of the time it seemed like he didn't even notice her presence so she didn't understand why he would be mad at her.

"Well, if you want to talk to him about it I will go with you, if it would make you more comfortable. And if you don't, I will tell him to leave you alone." Rick smiled at her, even though they both knew that "telling" Daryl Dixon to do something never really worked out quite like you might think.

"No, I think I should find out why he is upset with me, it isn't good to have tension in the group. But it might be good if you stayed close, just in case." She looked down at the floor; a little ashamed of herself that she would feel that she might need protection from Daryl.

"No problem," Rick replied, "whenever you are ready just come get me." He turned and walked away, leading Hershel off with him.

After everyone had eaten and the biggest part of the mess had been cleaned up Beth asked Carol and Andrea if it was ok with them if she took off for the night. They both told her to go ahead and watched as she walked over to Rick and they left the hall together. Daryl looked up as they entered the tower together, a scowl on his face.

"Told you this aint about you, Rick."

"And I told Beth I would stay close until we knew what your problem was. I will stay out here in the stairwell, wont listen in. Just make sure you keep your temper in check." Rick gave Daryl his best police officer stare, not looking away even when Daryl frowned at him.

"Not me you need to worry about hurtin' her, Rick."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Rick stepped forward, eyes narrowed at Daryl. "Surely you aren't suggesting that I"

"Aint what I meant, keep your hat on, Officer." Daryl almost smiled, amused at Rick's show of indignation.

"Then just what exactly did you mean?" Rick had relaxed some but still wasn't sure about this new direction of conversation. "Who do you think might hurt her?"

"That's what I mean to find out" Daryl replied, looking at Beth. "Just as soon as you get outta here so we can talk."

Rick backed out into the hallway, leaving the door cracked open enough to hear if she needed him. Daryl walked over to the other side of the room, motioning for Beth to follow him. She managed to make her feet move, but she still couldn't seem to catch her breath.

_Don't be foolish, this is Daryl. He would never put his hands on you. 'Cept it might be nice to have his hands on you….._

OH MY GOD, why would she think such a thing?! She gasped at her own thoughts, blushing.

"You don't have to be afraid of me, Beth. I aint gonna hurt ya. And I aint gonna let anyone else hurt ya, either. Why didn't you tell me, little one?" Daryl leaned in close to her, lowering his voice so Rick wouldn't hear what they were saying.

Confusion stopped Beth from answering him. Tell him what? That she was having random thoughts of him touching her? No way in hell would she admit to that, she wasn't even comfortable with it herself.

"I figured it out. Why you been keeping so close to me lately. One of them boys from Woodbury try something with you? One of them hurt you? So help me, if anybody has"

"NO! Daryl, no, why would you think that?" She panicked for a second, imagining what he might do to any of the young men that had been talking to her lately. No one had said or done anything out of line, just a couple of shy smiles. No one had even tried to kiss her, and she was kind of glad. They seemed like good boys, but she just wasn't interested in any of them. They were all just so _young._

"No one has tried anything or been mean at all. They are all just fine, helpful even"

Daryl visibly relaxed, leaning back against the wall and putting his crossbow down. "So if no one has ya scared, why ya acting so jumpy all the time? Someone must be making ya nervous."

"You"

_Oh My God there she went again. __**Why **__would she say something like that to him, of all people?_

"What was that?" Daryl never moved but his body was suddenly tense again.

"You make me nervous." Her voice was barely a whisper, but it was loud enough that he heard her. "I know you wouldn't hurt me but I can't help it. Whenever you are near me I get a nervous feeling in my stomach and I can't seem to breathe right. I am sorry if I made you think someone was hurting me, I never meant to do that. I will try to stay away from you. Please don't be mad."

She turned and fled the room, her face burning. She didn't look back to notice that Daryl was still leaning against the wall, except now his mouth was hanging open in shock.


	3. Chapter 3

**Daryl**

Daryl lay in bed that night long after everyone else in the cellblock had gone to sleep, feeling like a fool again. It was a feeling he was getting quite familiar with, though he couldn't say he liked it worth a damn.

Thing was, he wasn't sure if he was a fool for not seeing what was right in front of him or for even considering that the things Rick had said in the tower earlier were true.

Daryl had never considered himself an exceptionally bright man and dropping out before he ever got to high school hadn't won him any genius awards either.

And he had never even tried to figure out women. He had never had a real relationship with one, unless you counted that one disastrous attempt in his youth.

He had been 16 years old, in a bar he shouldn't have been in but got into because he looked older than he was. The girl had watched him from across the room before finally coming over to dance next to him. He couldn't dance to save his life but she hadn't seemed to mind, had wiggled her ass and rubbed against him to the music.

She kept buying him shots and he knew when she asked him to go home with her that it was a bad idea. He was young but he wasn't stupid, he knew she would expect sex.

He had never been with a woman before and had no idea how to please one in bed but he figured he could follow her lead pretty easily.

He knew that no one would miss him at home, his old man was in lockup again for busting some guy in the head with a tire iron and Merle would no doubt be back at the house with his lady for the evening, probably getting loud and acrobatic by now.

While his father not being home was nothing to grieve over, Merle would not appreciate being interrupted and sleeping in the garage did not sound appealing.

And she smelled so goddamn good, rubbing against him, making him so hard he couldn't think straight. So when she had taken his hand and led him out of the bar he hadn't stopped her.

She hadn't seemed to mind that he had no experience and had actually taught him quite a few things that night and in the next weeks. He had spent several nights in her bed, learning how to please a woman and had even imagined himself in love with her.

Then one night he woke up and overheard her on the phone with one of her friends. The things she had said still echoed inside his head. Damaged. Disfigured. Play thing.

_Well, fuck her._

He had picked up his bag and walked out, never looking back. He didn't consider that bitch a relationship, but a hard lesson learned. And one he never forgot.

After that if wanted what a woman offered, he took it. He didn't come back for seconds and never took his shirt off.

He had gone home and picked up some of his fathers things and gone to the pawnshop, planning to use the money to buy a bus ticket to anywhere else. Instead, he had bought a leather jacket and a crossbow.

Anyone who had seen him go into the woods that day would not have recognized him when he came out 10 days later. All traces of a boy had fallen away, leaving a hardened man in his place.

He couldn't do anything about the disfigured part, but he would never be anyone's damaged plaything again.

Merle never raised his hand to him again and he hadn't seen his old man since the mean bastard had been sent to the pen after the tire iron guy had kicked the bucket.

Daryl had learned quickly to keep his eyes open and take care of himself. Not much got past him.

Which brought him back to his conversation with Rick in the tower. Could Rick be right? Had he been that been that blind?

**Earlier**

Daryl was still leaning against the wall trying to understand what had just happened when Rick came back in the door, looking none to pleased.

"What'd you do to make her run out like that?" he snarled at Daryl. "If she goes inside lookin' like that Hershel will want your head on a platter and I ain't got time to be referee'n you two!"

He stood up, looking Rick in the eye. "I didn't do nothin' to her, was a miscommunication, that's all"

"Didn't look like a miscommunication, looked like you scared her half to death. AGAIN!"

"Well I didn't, ok? And I don't like you actin' like I'm gonna hurt her, neither. You know better'n that!"

Rick paused, taking a deep breath and reaching up to rub the bridge of his nose.

"You're right, I do. So how about we try to figure out what's wrong with her? Why's she runnin' from you?"

Daryl shook his head in confusion, "She says I make her nervous."

"What?" disbelief was thick in Rick's voice "She can kill a walker with a knife and break up 2 grown men tryin' to kill each other but **you **make her nervous?" He was trying not to chuckle, figuring Daryl wouldn't like that much.

"I been tryin' to figure out why she's been hangin' around so close to me lately but actin' so jumpy at the same time. I thought I had it today, figured one o'them boys from Woodbury had tried somthin' with her and she was keepin' close for protection, ya know? 'Cept when I ask her about that and why she didn't tell me she gets all red in the face and says they aint never bothered her. Says its **me **that makes her nervous."

Rick had a strange look on his face, like he had just smelled something bad. "Is that what she said? That you make her **nervous**?"

"She said whenever I get close to her she gets a funny feelin' in her stomach and she cant breath. Damn woman, I never done nothin' to make her fear me!"

Rick couldn't hold back his laughter that time. Daryl scowled at him, thinking it was a good thing it was Rick standing there. Anyone else laughed at Daryl Dixon like that and he'd a been pickin' up his teeth.

"Somethin' funny, Rick? 'Cause I must be missin' it."

"What you are missin', brother, is that it aint fear that girl is feeling when you get around her. Not fear at all. It's lust, pure and simple. Now its up to you to decide what to do about it."

Rick had turned and left the tower, still laughing, leaving Daryl standing there with his mouth open in shock.

Again.

**AN: Hope you guys like this new chapter! Thanks for the feedback on the first 2; I am glad you are loving them! Worked on the format a little so hopefully it reads a little easier. I am a newbie at this so have patience and if you know something else I can do to improve I am open to advice!**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: A little bit of smut in this one **** Enjoy!**

**Beth**

_Was she stupid? __**Why **__would she say something like that to Daryl?!_

Beth ran all the way back to her cell, ignoring the looks she was getting from the others and waving her hand at her father when he started to approach her.

"I'm fine, Daddy, just going to bed. Been a long day."

Thankfully, Hershel had not followed her into her room. She had no idea what she would say if he asked her what was going on now.

She changed into her nightclothes and sat down on the edge of her bed, pulling her ponytail out and picking up her hairbrush. She jerked the brush through her hair a little too hard, yanking at the tangles that had formed there.

_What if he was really mad now?_

He had been plenty mad earlier, anyone could see that, but now she knew that was because he thought someone was threatening her.

_He was that angry because he thought someone was hurting her….that meant he cared right? You didn't get that upset over someone if you didn't care about them….._

Of course he cared about her, she was part of the group he protected. They had to stick together and take care of each other now, with the world in the state it was in. And besides, she was Judith's main caretaker, along with Carol. And anyone could see Daryl was crazy about that little girl. His little ass kicker. The thought brought a smile to her face as she lay down to sleep.

_Someone was in her room. The blanket she kept up over the bars made it too dark to see more than a shadow figure standing close to her bed, but she could feel whoever it was watching her. Her heart pounded in fear, her mind racing to try and figure out who would come in on her like this and what they wanted._

"_I know there is someone there. Tell me what you want right now or I will scream loud enough to wake everyone here. Rick is 2 cells over and he sleeps real light"_

_There was a small chuckle before he answered her "No need to bring Officer Friendly running, I just wanta talk to ya"_

_Relief flooded her when she recognized that it was Daryl standing beside her bed. Relief and something else she didn't want to examine quite yet._

"_Daryl, damnit, you scared me half to death!"_

_Another small laugh escaped him "Now where have I heard that before? Don't have to be afraid o'me, nothin' bad will happen to ya as long as I am here."_

_Her heart sped up as he sat down on the mattress beside her, scooting just a little bit closer when she sat up. She pulled the sheet up to her chest, thankful that he couldn't see the thin tank top she slept in, suddenly feeling very naked._

"_So what did you want to talk to me about? What couldn't wait until morning?"_

"_This aint somethin' I want anyone else hearin' so no, it couldn't wait till mornin'" Daryl exhaled softly, and she thought he must be trying to find his words._

"_You just wont stay outta my head, little one….can't think about nothin' else, and being distracted in this world can get a man killed."_

"_What do you mean, Daryl? Look, I am sorry if I made you mad earlier, I didn't mean to…._

_She felt him lean closer to her and even though her mind was screaming at her to lean away, back into the wall, she couldn't move. She thought she heard him whisper "Not mad" but she wasn't sure and didn't have time to think about it when he slipped his hand into her hair and his lips met hers. _

_The kiss was completely unlike any of the kisses she had shared with Jimmy back on the farm. He had been as inexperienced as her, always fumbling and so unsure of himself that his lips barely touched hers. But not this kiss. This was a man who knew exactly what he was doing. _

_His lips were hard on hers at first, demanding until he realized she wasn't pushing him away. Then it became softer, teasing a response out of her, quieting the small moan she made with his mouth. His hand in her hair relaxed a little, pulling her closer so he could place his other hand behind her back, pressing her into his chest as he continued to work her lips with his. _

_She felt his tongue across her lips and realized he wanted her to open her mouth for him. With a small sigh she opened her mouth and felt his tongue dip in, touching hers. Desire shot through her, hot and fast. He tasted of smoke and spices._

_Her hands came up to touch him, one on his collarbone and the other slipping into his hair, holding on to him so he wouldn't pull away. The hand that had been in her hair slid down the side of her face to her neck, grazing over the thin strap of her shirt. His touch felt hot on her skin and she moaned again._

"_Quiet now, little one, this aint somethin' we want Rick walkin' in on" he whispered against her mouth. She barely had time to catch a breath before he claimed her mouth again, stroking her with his tongue while his left hand made small circles on the bare skin of her lower back, setting her on fire. _

_She had never felt like this before and didn't have time to think about what she was doing, the wave of feelings he was creating in her carrying her away quickly. His right hand slid smoothly down her arm and under the bottom edge of her tank top onto her stomach. His hands were rough from hard work but his touch was gentle. _

_She gasped again when he cupped her breast, kneading gently as he stroked his thumb over her nipple, making it so hard it was almost painful. She leaned into him but he was pushing her in the other direction._

_Beth clung to him, not wanting this to end. Then she realized he wasn't pushing her away, he was laying her down, and he was coming down onto the mattress with her. The length of his body pressed into hers and she felt his t-shirt, soft from being worn and washed so many times. It smelled of the outdoors, wind and rain and Daryl. _

_She moved her hands to his sides, sliding one of them under the edge of his shirt, feeling his skin hot beneath her hands when he froze. _

"_Not my back" he whispered, sounding agonized, almost as if she had hurt him. She pulled her hand out of his shirt quickly but not wanting him to pull away from her she reached for his head again, bringing his mouth to hers for another kiss. _

_Daryl's hand slid down her body, pushing the sheet away from her, letting the cold night air chill her body for just a second before he pulled her into him. He made small strokes on her hip with one hand as he continued to scatter her thoughts with his kisses, his touch sliding down to her knee and then back up her inner thigh, causing her heart to pound even harder. _

_He groaned when he reached the top of her thighs and realized she was only wearing a pair of lace panties, letting his fingers slide over the soft material like he had never felt anything like it before. He slipped his fingers inside her panties and touched her, making her body jerk upward, arching her back, giving him access to her neck which he began to trail small kisses down, over her collar-bone and down to her breast. _

_When he closed his mouth over her nipple through the thin fabric of her shirt she couldn't hold back the moan that escaped her lips and he covered her mouth with his again, muffling the sounds escaping her as he began to stroke her center with his fingers._

_She grasped at his upper arms and shoulders, squirming beneath him as her body responded to his touch, trying to get closer, silently pleading with him not to stop whatever he was doing to her. The feeling he was making with his hand changed and a sweet pressure she had never imagined began to build in her, making her body quiver and shake. _

_He pressed into her hip and she felt his hardness against her as her body exploded in a white-hot fire and she arched into him, gasping for breath and calling_

Out his name as she came. Beth sat up in bed, her body still pulsing from the orgasm, sweat running down her neck between her breasts. The dream clung to her like smoke and for a few seconds she was confused, reaching out for him. What had just happened? Could you even come in your sleep? She had never had a dream like that before...

"Beth, are you ok?" Maggie came rushing into her room, knocking the blanket down, letting light from the lone candle burning out in the center room into her cell. "I heard you cry out…."

She tried to smile at her sister, brushing her hair away from her face and neck. "It was just a dream, I am fine, go back to bed. Sometimes the really bad ones wake me up. Didn't mean to disturb you."

Maggie offered a small smile in return and turned to go back to her own cell where Glen was waiting for her to come back to bed. She frowned to herself in the darkness. She had heard the name her sister had called out and somehow she didn't think the dream Beth had been having was a nightmare.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Sorry it took a few days to get this one out, things here have been very busy with the hubby about to come home from a deployment **** Hope you like the new chapter!**

**Daryl**

Daryl was so nasty he thought he could feel something crawling on his skin and he smelled so bad he made himself want to leave the room.

He was so grateful that Glen had figured out how to make a hot water heater of sorts out of a solar panel they had found on one of their runs. That combined with the fact that Carol had been such a little Hannah Homemaker in her previous life that she had fashioned a pretty decent bar of soap out of the fat from the deer he brought back and who-knew-what-else had him looking forward to a hot shower and sliding into his bunk for a long, safe nights sleep.

Being out in the woods for the last 4 days had him so bone tired that he didn't even notice that the sign hanging on the shower door was turned to "W". He had pulled his filthy shirt and boots off and was unbuttoning his jeans when he noticed the pile of clothes on the bench with the lace panties on top.

_Lace? Who still has lace in this shit hole?_

Before he could think that whoever owned those lace panties was probably in here, naked, he heard a gasp from behind him and spun around, his finely honed reflexes on high alert.

Instinct may have spun Daryl around but it was shock that kept him standing there, staring. Beth was in front of him, wrapped only in a towel, her wet hair falling over her shoulders.

His gaze traveled down, noticing that somewhere along the way she had developed a pretty damn nice pair of legs.

"Daryl?! What are you doing in here? I turned the sign!" Her voice snapped him out of his stare, but when he tried to answer her he had to swallow twice first, his mouth suddenly very dry.

"Sorry, didn't notice the sign. I'll wait out in the hall so you can get dressed" he mumbled on his way out the door.

As he stood outside waiting on her to clear the bathroom he smiled to himself as he thought that he had never seen anyone who could blush all over their entire body before.

He had spent a lot of the last 4 days thinking over what Rick had said in the tower and had decided that he needed to know if he was right. What he would do if Rick had been right was an answer he didn't have yet.

But now was as good a time as any to start working on that mystery. It had not escaped his notice that the way Beth had been looking at him in the bathroom didn't exactly look like fear.

She had let her gaze roam over him a little too. Before she realized he was doing that very same thing, anyway. Then she had blushed and stammered something about the sign on the door.

They had come up with the sign after Maggie, rushing for the toilet from her morning sickness, had busted in on Rick in the shower. Everyone had been too embarrassed to discuss that for days and the next thing they knew, Glen had hung the sign.

It was simple enough, "M" for men and "W" for women. Now he was beginning to wonder if maybe it shouldn't read "CI" for Come In and "SO" for Stay Out. What if 2 people were in there together?

He was just letting his mind wander to what it would be like to shower with a woman when the door opened and the subject of that thought came out, dressed but still dripping water from her hair.

"You should read the sign before you come in " she snapped at him, looking down at the floor.

"Don't get yer back up little one, no harm done. Didn't see nothing but a towel, anyways". He tried to keep the smile out of his voice but didn't do a very good job.

"Well you would have seen a lot more if you had come in a minute earlier!"

"Is that so? How much more could a little girl like you have to show?"

He knew it probably wasn't a good idea to tease her like that but if she **was** having those kinds of thoughts about him he thought he should point out the difference in their ages. He wasn't quite old enough to be her father but he was more than a decade older than her.

Her sharp intake of breath told him he had gone too far. Fury blazed in her eyes.

"Daryl Dixon, I am not a child!"

She turned to walk away, pausing for a short second when he called out to her.

"Hey, little one? Pink is a good color on you".

She gasped again and hurried out of the hallway, leaving Daryl laughing as he headed in to his shower.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Some violence in this chapter, this fic has taken on a mind of its own! I sit down to write out what is in my head and find something totally different on the pages. So for now I am just trying to go with it! LOL! Let me know what you think! Love the reviews!**

**Daryl**

Daryl jerked his boots on, tying them tighter than was probably necessary, disgusted with himself. He had woken up in a mood and was only focusing on getting outside of the prison walls so he could think.

He had no idea what had come over him last night in the showers but it damn sure wasn't ever going to happen again. No way in hell was he going to incur Hershel's wrath and cause more tension in the already nervous group so some little girl could make him a pet project.

So Rick had been right about Beth wanting him. Well, she could just keep wanting. He wasn't messing with no virgin almost half his age, sure not one who was the preachers daughter.

Rick caught up to him as he was almost out of the yard, wanting to know where he was going.

"Out to hunt. Carol wants meat for a stew, shouldn't be too hard to scare up a couple a squirrels or a rabbit."

"Didn't you just come back from a 4 day hunt?" Ricks eyebrows raised in that infuriating way he had of saying one thing with his mouth and another with his expression.

"Yeah, well, the groups a lot bigger these days, takes more to feed so many people, now don't it?"

"Just don't stay out too long, people get nervous when you aren't around."

Hell, people got nervous when he was around, least some of 'em did.

"Won't be long, be back before sunset. Don't like sleepin' in a tree."

He walked out the gate, waving to Maggie and Carl to close it behind him.

**Beth**

Daryl wasn't the only person mad this morning. Beth was still so angry with him she could hardly concentrate to do anything. Baby Judith had bitten her when she tried to feed her this morning and cried whenever Beth picked her up.

Carol had taken the baby from her and gently suggested that she go work in the garden or somewhere else that would give her time to think and work out whatever was bothering her. That was funny. _**Whatever**_ was bothering her had just left the yard, crossbow slung over his back.

To hell with Daryl Dixon. If he thought she was just a little girl then…well, just to hell with him! The jackass she had encountered in the hallway last night was far from the tender lover of her dreams and she would do good to remember that **that** Daryl didn't exist anywhere except in her head.

_Except he cared enough about you to get all worked up when he thought you were in danger, didn't he? Would a man with no feelings do that? If he thought you were such a child would it have occurred to him that someone else could be trying something inappropriate with you?_

OH SHUT UP ALREADY!

She cursed her own inner voice. Thoughts like that weren't doing her any good. Daryl didn't want her, and she didn't want to think about why that made her sad. She didn't know when she had started wanting him, but she knew she might as well just stop, 'cause he was not returning the feelings.

"You ok over there? Sure are awfully quiet." One of the boys from the new Woodbury group, she thought his name was Logan, broke into her thoughts with his question. He had overheard her talking to Carol about what she needed to do in the garden and had volunteered to come along and help. No one went far alone these days. No one except crossbow toting rednecks with demon wings on their backs and a chip on their shoulder, anyway.

The garden was around behind one of the outbuildings and couldn't be seen from the towers, making it a good place to be alone with your thoughts but a bad place to be caught if any trouble broke out.

"Oh, no, I am fine" she replied, trying to smile for reassurance. "Just tense, is all. Didn't sleep well last night."

They had rounded the corner, out of sight of the tower and guards, and his expression suddenly changed. The sweet look of concern turned to a leer as he stepped way too close to her, pressing her back into the side of the building.

"I didn't sleep much last night either, thinkin' 'bout you twitchin' that little ass all over the place. What do you say we work off some of that tension together? I even came prepared." He had pulled a condom out of his back pocket.

Fear and anger coursed through her and she pushed him away from her but he was fast and had his hands in her hair before she could get away.

"I am not that kind of girl now get your hands off me!"

"Not _that kind of girl_, huh? So I guess you want me to believe you are a virgin? With the way you swing those hips around here? Ok baby, I will play our game. Come here and let me teach you how to fuck."

Beth knew he was stronger than her and she couldn't get away from him so she tried a different tactic.

"If you hurt me, they will kick you out. Rick wont let you stay if he thinks you're a danger."

"It don't have to hurt, honey. You can just play nice and we'll be special friends who help each other be less "tense"

His breath was hot on her neck as she tried to turn her face away from him but he grabbed her by the throat and pressed on her windpipe as he stuck his hand up her shirt, squeezing her breast so hard it brought tears to her eyes.

"They'll know I didn't bruise myself and they'll throw you out. If they don't feed you to the walkers."

She didn't see the slap coming and her teeth slammed together violently when he backhanded her, knocking her to the ground. Before she could move or scream he was on top of her, one hand squeezing her throat and the other ripping at her clothes.

"You are a stupid bitch, aint'cha? Everyone in the place saw the way that dumb hick came at you last week. No one will doubt that he got tired a 'yer teasin' and took what you been flashing around."

Her last conscious thought before the darkness closed in on her was that Daryl was right after all.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Sorry this one is so short, going to try to get another one up today. Keep the reviews coming, when I feel the love I write faster! LOL!**

**Rick**

Walking the fence perimeter to check for weak spots wasn't the most enjoyable job but it was an important one, and it was one Rick really didn't mind. It gave him some time to think and clear his head.

He didn't think he was above such tasks and even when he was training new recruits back at the police academy he had never asked them to do anything he wasn't willing to do himself.

So he was out here today, making sure things were safe for his children to sleep tonight.

As he rounded the corner of the old supply building he heard a male voice saying "oh, yeah, baby, this will be good for both of us". He smiled to himself and rattled the fence a little bit so whoever was there would know they weren't alone and save all of them some embarrassment.

He heard rustling, the unmistakable sound of a zipper, and feet running in the other direction. He shook his head, still laughing to himself, and walked on around to the other side of the building.

The smile died on his lips when he was the small body lying on the ground. He ran to the girl and turned her over onto her back, not wanting to believe what he already knew.

It was Beth.

"Oh, no, no, no…Beth? Beth? Wake up, Beth, wake up!"

His officer training had him assessing the scene quickly and unemotionally, taking in the bruised face, blood running from the wound on her head, and her torn clothes. Her shirt was ripped in half and her shorts were on the ground beside her.

He quickly pulled her panties back up from around her knees and took his own shirt off, pulling it over her head as gently as he could, trying not to look at her exposed body.

Standing with her in his arms he began to run toward the main hall. The thought crossed his mind that he was once again running with a child that he was responsible for protecting injured in his arms.

**Beth**

Her head hurt so bad. She didn't try to open her eyes, wasn't sure if she could even if she wanted to.

She felt a soft, cool touch on her forehead and heard Carol speaking to someone over hear.

"We don't have any idea who did this. Right now we are just trying to take care of her and make sure she is comfortable as possible so she will wake up."

She had to tell them it was Logan. They had to know it wasn't Daryl.

"He said" _everyone would think it was_ "Daryl" _I tried to get away but_ "couldn't" _fight him off. There was no one to_ "save me".

She heard Carol gasp as she slipped back into the sweet darkness where there was no pain.

When she woke again her eyes opened to the flickering light of a small candle and she saw Maggie standing over her. Her sister was saying something to her but the sound of her voice was drowned out by the noise coming from the cafeteria hall just on the other side of the door.

Someone was screaming, like a wounded animal.

Then she began to catch words…

"Kill him! …..gut him….animal…"

Daryl. That was Daryl screaming.


	8. Chapter 8

**Beth**

It had been a week since the attack and Beth was finally beginning to relax enough that she didn't jump when someone moved close to her.

She had lied and told them all that she didn't know who had hurt her, that whoever it was had struck her as she walked around the corner of the building and she didn't remember anything after that.

She felt guilty about lying to Rick and Carol, but not as guilty as she would feel if Daryl killed Logan. She shuddered just remembering how he had sounded outside the door that night. She had realized when she woke and could think clearly what it was that Daryl had been screaming about and she couldn't be responsible for someone's death. S

he knew that Rick didn't completely believer her lie but was too much of a gentleman to call her on it.

And she was grateful for that. She had never been a good liar and didn't know if she could hold up under Rick's questions. She owed him so much already and had never even thanked him for saving her.

So things had returned to normal. Or as normal as they could be anyway, now that Daryl's older brother Merle had shown up.

Merle had never been a nice guy but now that he was here with the people he had been so cruel to in Woodbury, he was even nastier than before. He had a snappy comeback for anyone who spoke to him. Except Rick. He hated Rick and never even bothered to speak to him.

But he stayed with Daryl mostly and did his share of the work, doubling the amount of meat coming in from the hunts, so no one bothered him much.

She was sitting at one of the picnic tables out in the yard enjoying the sun when Carol approached her.

"You doing ok today Beth?"

The concern on Carols face made her feel another twinge of guilt but Beth had other things that she needed to ask Carol about so she pushed it away.

"My bruises are about healed but I have something bothering me, ya know, in my head. I was hoping you could help me figure it out."

"I can try honey. What is it?"

"I don't remember anything about the…what happened…until I woke up in the room with you and Maggie. And its been bothering me, not knowing for sure if he…well, if he…

"Raped you?" Carols voice was soft and gentle but the words still made Beth cringe.

"Yes" she whispered.

"Well maybe we can figure it out but you will have to tell me some pretty personal things. You ok with that?"

"Yes, I trust you. You remind me a lot of my mom."

"Oh sweetheart, that's the nicest thing anyone has said to me in a long time. I think of you like my daughter, too." Carol's eyes shone with unshed tears and Beth knew that she was thinking of her daughter, Sophia, lost to the walkers last year.

"So," Carol continued, "The first thing I need you to tell me is…Are you a virgin? Have you ever had sex with anyone before?"

"NO! I mean, yes, I am a virgin. Oh, Carol, am I still a virgin?" Beth's heart hurt thinking that the one sacred thing that she had left to give to the right person might have been taken from her.

"Of course you are sweetheart. No matter what he may or may not have done to your body, you get to decide when to willingly give yourself to someone and that's what matters the most."

Carol reached across he table and took her hand, looking into her eyes as she spoke.

"Since you had never been with a man before….did your woman parts hurt the next day? Or did you have any blood or pain when you went to the bathroom?"

Beth shook her head slowly, thinking about the question.

"No, I didn't have any pain…down there…just my head and my shoulders, from where I hit the ground when he hit me."

Carols eyes widened "But you said you didn't remember anything…"

"I don't" Beth snapped "I just know you told me Rick picked me up off the ground" She could see that Carol didn't quiet believe the lie but didn't want to push her.

"There was no blood on your legs or panties when I examined you and if you didn't have any pain then I would say that Rick's arrival scared off whoever hurt you before he could do anything more."

Beth's face lit up with her smile and she stood from the table, taking Carol into a big hug.

"Thanks, Mom! You have no idea how much better that makes me feel."

**Daryl**

Daryl was having a good day. He had spent most of the morning working on a new crib he was building for Judith and was standing guard in the tower now, waiting on Carl to show up for his shift.

His big brother had shown up last week and even though he was being a real pain in the ass to everyone else, Daryl was glad he was back. He hadn't been sure that Merle had survived after the fight at Woodbury and it was good to know that he still had someone who shared his blood in this world.

So things were going pretty good for Daryl right now, nothing to be too upset over.

_Except that thing with Beth last week._

When Daryl had returned from his hunt and seen Rick standing outside the kitchen looking almost as bad as he had the day Judith was born he had thought that the walkers must have gotten someone.

"What happened? How'd they get in? thought we had the fence secured?"

"What?" Rick had glanced up at him, eyes tortured. "No, not walkers. Someone else. Someone inside."

"Well are ya gonna tell me or just stand there holding that rag?" Even as the words left his mouth he realized that the 'rag' Rick was holding was a pink shirt.

_Just like the one Beth had worn out of the showers last night. _His blood ran cold.

"Beth? Something happened to Beth? She alive?"

Rick paused just a second too long for Daryl.

"What happened, Rick?" His voice had raised loud enough that other people were beginning to mill around, trying to hear.

"I found her on the ground out by the garden. Someone had…her clothes were torn and she was bleeding…" he trailed off, clearly not wanting to tell Daryl more.

"Her clothes?" He snatched the shirt out of Rick's hands and held it up, seeing that it was torn in half. "Her clothes were ripped off? She was raped? You telling me some sonofabitch forced himself on her?"

There was no calming Daryl down now, he was shaking with rage.

"Who was it? Who did it, Rick?"

"I don't know. Carol is waiting on her to wake up now. She had a pretty nasty gash on her head and they just got the bleeding to stop but she isn't awake yet."

Daryl screamed then, much like the sound he had made when they found Merle's severed hand on the roof in Atlanta.

"I will find out who did this. And when I do I will kill him! I will gut him like the animal he is!"

The people who had been gradually moving closer to the two men froze, everyone in the room looking around at everyone else, no one saying a word.

"Do you hear me?" Daryl screamed at the crowd. "I will find out who you are!"

He stomped out of the hall, leaving a very quiet, very nervous bunch of people watching him go.


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: ****Some violence in this one...sorry it has taken so long to get this chapter up, been tied up with some family things this weekend. Enjoy! Oh, and if you don't like it, don't read it. There is no reason to leave ugly comments. Constructive criticism is one thing, but if you are just looking to flame, go somewhere else.**

**Beth**

Beth had done a lot of thinking in the 2 weeks since she had been attacked. After talking to Carol in the yard that day she had been relieved to know that Logan hadn't gone through with what he had intended to do to her.

She had even gone to Rick and thanked him for saving her. He had tried to refuse her praise, saying if he had been there sooner she wouldn't have been hurt at all but Beth refused to hear any of that talk and had insisted that his arriving when he had was enough.

She had laid in bed later that night thinking about how terrified she had been thinking that she had been raped. She knew now that she wanted to share herself with a man, and she knew exactly who that man was. Getting him to see her as a woman wasn't going to be easy, though. Especially not since she hadn't even been able to speak with him since it had happened.

Daryl hadn't come inside for dinner for a few days after the attack and when she saw him outside he didn't even look at her. Then Merle had shown up and they had both been sleeping out in the yard in a tent ever since.

But today she was determined to talk to him. She would make him listen to her. She had no idea how to go about seducing a man but she was pretty sure he had to speak to you first.

She knew Daryl was in the tower on guard duty this morning so after breakfast she made a plate for him and headed that way. What she had not counted on was him not being alone. Daryl and Merle both turned to look at her as she entered the tower. She could tell Daryl was surprised to see her but he quickly looked away. Merle leered at her for a second, making her feel dirty.

"I didn't know there were 2 of you up her, I only brought one plate. Sorry"

It was Merle who answered her, with a chuckle.

"Well, since I am pretty sure it aint Ole Merle you came a lookin for, I will just scat on out a here and let you kids be."

"No, I didn't mean you had to…" Beth tried to protest out of politeness, but Merle just laughed.

"No, problem, Darlin, I know how to find the kitchen" Merle stepped past her, still chuckling as he closed the door behind him.

"I…I thought you should eat" she stammered, holding the plate out to Daryl. He took it from her, setting it down on the ledge without even looking at the food.

"I wanted to talk to you" she said quietly. Daryl looked up then, waiting for her to go on.

"I know you are mad about what happened with me 2 weeks ago."

"You're damn right I'm mad" he grunted, hitching his crossbow farther up on his shoulder.

"I…I know, and I'm sorry." That got his attention. She could tell she had surprised him by the way he raised his eyebrows at her. "It was stupid of me to go out there alone and I should have known better."

"What are you babblin about girl? Aint nobody mad at you. Now the bastard that hurt you…." He let the rest of the sentence trail off and Beth felt her stomach clench up in a knot at the tone of his voice. She gave herself a little shake and took a small step back.

Daryl's face looked like she has slapped him.

"Aw, now, little one, I would never hurt you."

Beth was horrified. "Of course you wouldn't! I know you would never touch me against my will."

_It's now or never, chicken shit. Tell him you want him. Or forget him._

She stepped forward, close enough to touch him if she wanted. Taking a deep breath, she worked up her courage.

"But, Daryl, what if…

"What if what?"

"What if I did want you to touch me?"

His sharp intake of breath and instant rigidness of his body were the only indications that he had heard her for several long, torturous seconds.

"What are you talking about, girl?" His voice was rough, unsteady.

"I am talking about you, Daryl. I think about you all the time, hell I even dream about you. I …I want you. I want you to kiss me, to touch me."

She reached her hand up and rested it on his shoulder, leaning in to kiss him.

He wasn't frozen anymore.

He stepped away from her, eyes wide like an animal trapped in a corner.

"You don't know what you are asking for, you are just a kid." He sneered at her, trying to make her angry.

It worked.

"I am not a child, Daryl!"

"You keep sayin that"

"And I am trying to prove it, too, if you weren't such a stubborn ASS!"

"And how do you plan to do that? You aint ever even had a real boyfriend. What do you know about men?"

Beth stepped forward again and this time his back was against the wall. He couldn't move away without pushing her out of his way and she knew he would never do that.

"I will tell you what I know, Daryl Dixon. I know that you are an honest, hardworking man who never does anything he can't sleep with at night. I know that you fascinate me. Your smile lights up my whole day and your anger darkens it. I know that no one has ever made me feel like every nerve in my body is on fire the way you do just by walking into the room. You do things to me in my mind, in my dreams, and I want you to be the man who does those same things to my body. The first man…"

She stretched up to kiss him, but just before she could touch her lips to his he turned his head.

"I can't, little…Beth. Not after what he did to you."

Hot shame and rejection flooded through Beth. Of course he didn't want her. He thought Logan had raped her and he didn't want something someone else had broken. Fighting back tears she stumbled away from him.

"I get it. You don't want me after he…you think I am damaged."

**Daryl**

Daryl couldn't breathe. She could have kicked him in the balls and he would have recovered faster.

_Damaged._

Sonofabitch.

_Sonofabitch, you __**stupid **__sonofabitch_.

She thought he didn't want her because she had been raped.

She had no way of knowing that the reason he kept stepping away from her was because his traitorous body **DID** want her. Even now he had a hard on throbbing so hard he had to adjust his pants.

But she didn't know that what he meant when he said he couldn't wasn't that he didn't want to, but that he didn't want to scare her and he knew that women who had been raped had a hard time with men afterwards. He would never hurt her on purpose, but he had no experience with a woman who was traumatized and would never forgive himself if he made that fear worse out of his own ignorance.

If he tried to give her what she was clearly asking for he could scare her even more. He didn't know how to be gentle. He didn't know how to coax a frightened woman into relaxing.

He knew how to give dirty, rough, sometimes painful pleasure to a willing partner who wanted to fuck. He knew nothing about making love, and something told him that was what Beth wanted. She didn't just want his body; she wanted him to open up to her. And that he could not do.

_Damaged._

That word kept coming back to him. He knew exactly how it felt to know that you weren't wanted because someone thought you were broken. And he would be damned if he would allow Beth to feel that because of him.

He didn't know how he was going to make this right, but he had to.

The first person he saw in the yard when he came out of the tower was Glen.

"Stand guard" Daryl snapped at him. "Got something to take care of"

"Daryl, I saw Beth leave out of there just a few minutes ago and she was obviously upset. Maybe you should just …

"Didn't ask you for advice, just stand guard."

Glen clearly wanted to say something more but the look on Daryl's face made him hold his tongue.

Daryl's mind was so focused on finding Beth when he walked into the main hall that it took him a couple of seconds to take in the scene that was playing out in front of him. Merle had one of the young men from Woodbury up against the wall, his good arm over his throat and the knife cover over the stump that used to be his right hand pressed into the guy's stomach. He was face to face with him, begging him to move.

"Give me a reason to cut ya, boy….I thought ya woulda learned your lesson back in Woodbury but I see you are still dumber than a stump. These girls don't want nothin to do with ya"

Daryl didn't see Beth on the other side of them, her arms wrapped protectively around a younger girl, no more than 14 years old, until she started speaking.

"I can't believe I protected you. I should have known you wouldn't only hurt one person. Well, you will never hurt another girl here like you hurt me"

It was then that Daryl realized exactly what had just happened. This was the piece of shit who had raped Beth, and Merle had obviously caught him trying to mess with another little girl.

Red rage washed over him and he never stopped to think about the crowd of people around them. The only thing he could think of was the torn pink shirt he still had in his bag, the bruises that had only just healed on Beth's face and arms, and one word.

**Damaged**.

Well, he had some damage of his own to inflict.

He shoved Merle out of the way, grabbing the boy by the hair and shirt, dragging him outside into the yard. Blood was a bitch to get off the floors. He heard Beth screaming something behind him but couldn't think clearly enough to make out her words and when he looked up at her he saw that Merle had blocked most of the doorway with his body, holding her inside.

So he turned back to the dog at his feet.

"You like to hurt little girls? I got something for you, you piece of shit"

"I don't know what you are talking about you dumb hillbilly, everybody here knows it was you hurt that girl 2 weeks ago. We all saw how you treated her in the kitchen." The boy was talking fast, at the same time trying to crawl away from Daryl.

Daryl jerked him up off the ground and began to swing at him, one punch spinning his head and body in one direction, the next one bringing him back.

After a few blows the boy fell to the ground and Daryl went down with him, holding his shirt in his left hand, still swinging with the right. He felt bones breaking under his blows….ribs, the boy's nose, and then his jaw. When he tried to hold his arm up to fight Daryl off, he broke that too…After that the man underneath him didn't move anymore. The pain had overcome him, causing him to pass out.

Daryl finally stood up, wiping the sweat and blood off his face with the sleeve of his shirt, backing away from the unconscious figure on the ground.

He felt someone grab his left arm and jerked away, only realizing after she jumped back that it was Beth, not Merle, as he had thought. Her eyes were wide with fear and unshed tears. He couldn't take her looking at him like that, not now.

"You still think I am a good man, Angel? I may have just beaten him to death and let me tell you something, I won't miss a minute's sleep over it"

Daryl picked his crossbow up off the ground where he had dropped it and strode away, towards his tent on the opposite side of the yard.


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: ****Little bit of smut in this chapter, my way of apologizing for being absent for so long **

**Beth**

Beth knew that this was definitely a bad time to follow Daryl, but she was going to do it anyway. She had been watching him walk away from Logan's unconscious figure on the ground when he looked up and saw Glen looking down from the tower. Good thing there were no walkers out there today, 'cause everyone was watching what was happening inside the walls.

Daryl, realizing that his guard shift wasn't finished, turned from the direction he had been heading and went back up into the tower, relieving Glen from his watch.

Beth had noticed that his hands were split and bleeding from where he had struck Logan over and over, so she had hurried inside, picked up some first aid supplies, and was now headed to the tower.

_This is not a good idea. You saw what he just did to that creep. You should give him some time to calm down and get control of himself. _

The problem with that was Daryl had **too much** damn control. If she was ever going to get anything honest out of him, now was the time.

And she had something to say to him, anyway. How dare he reject her because Logan had touched her and then beat the living shit out of him minutes later?! Men acted like that when they cared about someone. So did he want her or not?

She was so confused her head was spinning.

When she walked into the room at the top of the tower, Daryl didn't even turn to look at her.

"Get out, don't want no company" he snapped.

"I don't care." Beth replied, surprised at how calm her voice sounded, even to her.

Daryl spun around, eyes narrowed "What did you say to me?"

"I said I don't care if you want company. You hurt your hands beating the crap out of the guy who hurt me and I aim to bandage them, whether you like it or not."

"My hands are fine, now get outta here, can't deal with you right now"

"Well you are going to deal with me so get over it. If you can't find me acceptable as a woman because of what you **think** he did then fine, I will learn to deal with that, but you will at least….

Daryl moved so quickly that Beth had no time to see him coming at her or consider what it was that he was doing. He grabbed her, pulling her into him, and kissed her.

He was everywhere. His hands were in her hair and on the small of her back, pressing her body against his. His mouth on hers was not gentle, not tender, but demanding, bruising her lips.

For a second she wondered if maybe she had made a mistake coming up here and pushing him to talk to her. Calm and sarcastic Daryl she knew, but this out of control, rough Daryl was a little frightening.

Then he slid his hand under her ass and lifted her, wrapping her legs around his waist, and she lost whatever thought she was having. She could feel his erection pressed against her, the lean strength of him as held her with one arm into his hard body.

Her arms went up, around his neck, as she kissed him back, not wanting the passion to stop even if it was a little scary.

Beth tightened her thighs, holding onto Daryl even tighter, rubbing against his crotch and pressing her breasts into his chest at the same time. He groaned into her mouth and turned around, slamming her back against the wall as he thrust against her, dropping his hand from her hair to her breast.

The impact with the wall and the roughness with which he gripped her breast brought a small cry of pain from Beth. Daryl dropped her as if she were poison and jumped away, running his hands through his hair.

"Goddamnit Beth, get outta here! I aint gonna hurt you like he did, I aint no rapist!"

The anguish in his eyes and voice did not match the passion she had felt from him only moments before and she was speechless for a second. She thanked God she was, because Daryl took her silence as a cue for him to go on.

"I can see you aint a little girl no more, and I certainly don't find you _unacceptable_, but I aint the man for you. I know what he done to you and I don't think no less of you for it, but I don't know how to treat a woman who was raped and I don't wanta hurt you more. So get on outta here and stop thinkin about me."

"I wasn't raped" her voice sounded small and she wasn't sure at first that he had heard her.

Then he narrowed his eyes at her. She knew that look, that this-is-bullshit-but-I-gotta-deal-with-it look.

"No need to lie to me, I done told you I know it wasn't your fault"

"I am not lying, Daryl. Rick scared him off before he had time to uh..finish what he started. He had knocked me out and I didn't know for a few days if he had or not."

Daryl was still looking at her a little warily, clearly not sure if he should believe her. But his posture had relaxed some, even if he was still breathing harshly from their moments before.

"Why'd you lie to everyone? Why'd you lie about not knowing who it was?"

"Because I heard you outside the cafeteria that night. I heard you say you would kill him, and I didn't want to be the reason why. I should have let you have him. Then he wouldn't have had the chance to hurt anyone else. Thank God Merle walked in before he could hurt that other girl today, I could never have lived with myself if he had ruined a little girl like that because I let him go free."

"Yeah, well, don't think he's gonna hurt anybody else. If he survives that beatin I just gave him he won't be able to open his mouth or use his arms for a while. Be a damn shame if he starved, don't see anybody else wantin to feed him, after what he done."

The sarcasm dripped from his comment and Beth relaxed a little, seeing the old familiar Daryl before her again. Part of her was a little sad, too…there would be no more crashing, demanding kisses from this Daryl.

But that didn't mean she was going to forget what it felt like to have him holding her, feeling his body against hers.

"I am so grateful to you for making sure he won't hurt anyone else, Daryl, and to answer your question, Yes, I do still think you are a good man."

She had walked toward him as she spoke and now she stretched up just a little so she could reach him and very softly brushed her lips against his, lingering only a second before backing away.

"And now that I know you want me too, there is no way I am going to stop thinking about you."

Daryl started to say something but Beth cut him off

"Now shut up and give me your hands"

**Daryl**

That damn girl was going to drive him crazy.

She followed him in here, not listening when he tells her to go away, determined to bandage his hands. Then when she started rambling on about how he didn't want her no more cause of what that asshole did, he couldn't stop himself from kissing her.

He never expected her to respond the way she had, clinging to him like she was drowning. If she hadn't whimpered when her back hit the wall who knows if he would have come to his senses or not. And then to find out that she hadn't been raped…against the wall of a prison tower with a man in the grip of an irrational anger was not the way to lose your virginity.

_Now that I know you want me too_…..God help him, he did want her. He knew that he shouldn't, and he knew it would probably cause a lot of problems in the group, 'specially with her Daddy, but that didn't change it a bit.

He still wanted her.

Daryl leaned back against the wall, shaking a cigarette out of the pack he kept hidden in his jacket. They weren't easy to come by these days and he was stingy with his, only allowing himself to smoke when he needed it most. Now, still shaking from the adrenaline of the fight and the close encounter with Beth, he had never needed one more.

It was going to be a long day, sitting in this tower, thinking about her.

Tonight after dinner he would try to talk to her. She had to see that he wasn't the man for her. No matter how right it felt, having her in his arms, she deserved better than him.

But damnit it was going to be hard, forgetting the smell and taste of her….


	11. Chapter 11

Daryl was walking the yard, checking the fence and overseeing the crop labor, when he came upon the place. The place where Logan had attacked Beth. He had known from what Rick told him where it had happened, but had not had a reason to be over in this part of the yard since. There had been no rain in the month since the incident and so there was still a small spot of her blood on the ground where Rick had found her.

Daryl knelt down, putting his crossbow on the ground. Things sure had changed a lot in that month.

First everyone was real careful and quiet around Beth, like they thought maybe she was going to lose her mind or something. Those people from Woodbury had no idea what crazy looked like. Sure they had seen the Governor, but he put a real good face on his insanity. They hadn't been here when Rick had lost his mind. Hadn't seen the wild look in his eyes, or had to wonder if their friend and brother-in-arms would come back or be lost to the darkness of his own mind forever.

Then it came out that Logan was the one who had attacked Beth, and suddenly everyone watched Daryl like HE was crazy. He had to admit he had given them a fairly good reason to watch him, beating the boy almost to death like he had. And he knew the whispering was still going on behind his back. He just didn't care. He would protect what was his, kill to protect it. And the small group of people he had come to think of as his family was all he had in this world.

So let the rest of them talk. Just as long as they understood what happened when you crossed that line.

Speaking of crossing lines….Beth was trying her hardest to shove him over the line he had drawn between them. Damn girl was stubborn. She went after what she wanted with the ferocity of a lion.

And she had decided it was _him_ she wanted.

He was doing his best to slow her down, protect her from herself, but she was determined to push their relationship (just the thought that he was in a relationship with her brought a small smile to his face) over the line. Into bed.

There was a part of him that thought she would realize one day that he wasn't good enough for her and run screaming. That part was what kept him from giving her what she wanted. If he didn't do anything irreversible then she wouldn't have to live with the regret of it later, when she left him.

He was getting used to their evening walks together, and had even begun to expect her to sneak into his room and lie down beside him at night, as she had been doing almost every night since the day he had beaten that scum that hurt her.

He had been sleeping in the outbuilding he was using to build Judith's new crib, Merle had taken one of the empty cell block rooms inside and no one was really comfortable with Daryl inside right now, anyway. But he realized too late that removing himself from the watchful eye of others gave Beth exactly what she wanted…privacy.

He couldn't complain too much, though, he slept well with her in his arms and when he couldn't sleep he listened to her breathing. She had been content at first with the gentle, easy kisses they shared and had drifted off to sleep in his arms so easily that he was amazed to realize that she truly believed that he would keep her safe.

Then she had began to get a little more demanding with her kisses, a little bolder with her caresses. One night she had pulled his hair and scratched him in her passion and he had almost lost control of himself, his body responding like an electric current had passed through it. He had seen the devilish look in her eyes in that moment and known he was in trouble. She had figured out how to get past his defenses. Twice now he had made himself leave the bed to escape what she was doing because she had gotten too close to pushing him over his own boundaries.

But she wasn't giving up. He knew it was time to make a decision, while he was still the one who got to make it.

He picked up his crossbow and headed back inside. There was someone he had to talk to.

As luck would have it, the man he was looking for was looking for him, too.

Hershel was coming around the side of the building, a solemn look on his face.

"A minute of your time, Daryl?"

_Well, it was now or never._

Daryl had never had to deal with anyone's father before and didn't know what to say, so he just nodded.

"I know Beth has been spending her nights with you lately."

Daryl nodded again, waiting to see where this was going.

"Now I understand that you are both adults and that's not any of my business, but my little girls heart is my business, and I don't want to see her hurt."

"Are you asking me what my intentions are, Hershel?"

Hershel smiled "Yeah, I guess I am."

"I'm not sure what's happening with Beth, but I can tell you I won't hurt her, or let anyone else hurt her. She's the only good thing I have right now and I know you might not think I'm good enough for your daughter

"Quiet the opposite" Hershel interrupted.

"What?"

"A father wants his daughter to be happy, Daryl. And she is happy when you are around, a blind fool could see that. There is little joy in this world now days, it would be foolish not to take what small bit of it comes our way. I can rest well at night knowing you will protect her with your life. There is no better man for my little girl. Just know that she will always be my little girl, and don't give me a reason to regret giving you my blessings."

Hershel turned and walked away from him, leaving Daryl stunned.

Damn, he was spending a lot of time with his mouth hanging open lately.


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: Well, here it finally is...this chapter has been so hard to write! Very explicit here, so if you dont like it...if you do like it, leave reviews!**

**Beth**

Tonight was the night. One way or the other, Beth was going to resolve her relationship with Daryl.

She planned to lay her heart out for him to see. And if he didn't want her, then she would try to mend the broken pieces.

But she couldn't stand this being in limbo anymore.

He accepted her attention now, didn't push her away when she came to his bed at night. But when she tried to get closer to him physically he always froze.

She knew from the way his body responded to her that he wanted her, at least in _that_ way. But her feminine insecurities kept her wondering if he pulled away because there was something wrong with her, or for other reasons.

But no more. Tonight she would make him decide.

She had seen him talking with her Daddy earlier and her curiosity was burning to know what they had said but she knew there was no way to ask without sounding like she was spying on him. Besides, it might not even have been about her. Daryl was a big part of the leadership of this group; maybe it had been about something else.

She pushed that thought away, this wasn't about her father. This was her decision, hers and Daryl's.

She prayed she wasn't wrong, it was going to be really hard living with the embarrassment if she was.

After pushing her food around her plate at dinner Beth had helped clean up and finally slipped away to the showers. Her thoughts ran straight to Daryl, as they always did, and she tried to push away the nervousness at what she was planning to do.

She knew he had been with women before and she hoped that her inexperience wouldn't be a turn off for him.

She dressed in a plain T-shirt and her soft sweat pants, leaving her bra and panties on the bed in her room. The nights were getting colder now that winter was here and before she had crossed the yard to get to where he was sleeping she was wishing she had brought a jacket.

He was lying in his bed when she slipped in quietly and he lifted the covers so she could slide in next to him.

"Was about to think you weren't coming tonight," he said softly, pulling her into him. "You are freezing"

"Sorry, I didn't realize it was so cold out….I wasn't sure if I should come tonight, after last night…." She let her words trail off and heard his small gasp at her words.

"Daryl, if you don't want me here, just tell me and I will go away"

"It aint that, Angel…" she waited while he searched for his words…."I aint gonna fight you no more…I just need to know that this is what you really want."

Her heart leaped into her throat at his words, making it hard for her to speak, but she had to say this.

"I know what I want, Daryl, but do you want me?"

"You have to ask?" He spoke with a small laugh. "The reason I moved away from you last night wasn't cause I didn't want you, but cause I am afraid I will hurt you. I never been anyone's first before, and thinking about hurting you makes me crazy"

"I know the first time will be painful, but I want it. I need it. And I need it to be you" she spoke softly, watching his expression. "I have fallen in love with you, Daryl. I don't expect the same from you, and that is ok. But I need you to know that this isn't just a young girls crush. I love you. And I want to be with you."

He frowned, a confused look on his face.

"Is that what this is?" He said softly, more to himself than to her. "I never felt this way before, never needed anyone and sure never had anyone who needed me….but I cant sleep at night when you aren't here and I think about you all the damn time….I got you under my skin"

Beth startled at his words, remembering her dream. That seemed like forever ago.

She turned under the blanket, placing her hands on his chest and leaning up to kiss him softly.

"Stop talking and make love to me Daryl. Please" the last word came out as a small whisper against his lips and he groaned. Beth took that as a sign of victory and deepened their kiss, winding her fingers into his hair and pulling him closer. Daryl pulled away from her, catching her wrists in his hands.

"Slow down, baby, this is going to take a little while "

He sat up, raising her up with him, turning her so that she straddled his lap, and began to kiss her softly, trailing down her neck to her collar bone.

"I don't deserve this gift, Angel….I will try to be as easy I can, but we can stop any time you want."

"Please don't stop, Daryl…making love with you is all I have been able to think about….and you don't have to be so gentle, you know"

His eyebrows went up at that statement and he looked at her, clearly amused.

"No? Why would you say that?"

Beth blushed, remembering the way she had felt in the tower the day he had kissed her for the first time.

"Well, in the tower that first day, when you were kind of rough with me….I liked it…and I know you like it when I scratch you…"

"There will be time for that, baby, but this first time isn't it….I've learned that there is some pleasure in every pain, and I mean to make this as good for you as I can, but some of it will hurt"

He had been sliding his fingers up her shirt as he spoke and when his fingers brushed the underside of her breasts he realized that she was not wearing a bra and drew in his breath. Beth saw his eyes darken slightly and she drew in a deep breath and pushed her breasts into his hands, urging him to touch her.

Daryl reached down and took ahold of the hem of her shirt, pulling it up over her head and dropping it beside the bed. She crossed her arms in front of her, embarrassed by the exposure.

"No, beautiful. Don't cover yourself. You don't ever be embarrassed with me" Daryl's words were soft as he pulled her arms away to her sides, staring openly at her breasts. They were full and firm, smooth with her youth but definitely the body of a woman.

"You are beautiful, don't be ashamed of that"

He put his arms around her then, pulling her to him as he lowered his head and began to kiss the tops of her breasts. Beth felt the rough material of his shirt against her and wanted it gone, wanted to feel his skin on hers. She leaned back and began to unbutton his shirt and he went very still. She wondered for a second if he was holding his breath.

"Are you ok?" she asked softly.

"I don't take my shirt off when I….umm..Other women…my back, I have…" he stammered softly, not making full sentences. She turned his words back on him

"Don't ever be embarrassed with me" she whispered softly, finishing the last button and pulling his shirt off of his arms and discarding it.

She reached around him, pressing her breasts into his chest, and traced her fingers down his back, feeling the spots where the skin was tougher, the lines of scar tissue.

"Do you know what these scars tell me?" she whispered in his ear.

"That I am the one who is damaged" he responded bitterly.

"No, that you are strong. That you have survived things other people would never have lived through. They are part of you, and I love you. But if you don't want me to touch your back, I will try not to"

"Aint I supposed to be the one talking you through this?" Daryl said, smiling as he laid her back on the bed, shifting his body so that he was balanced on one elbow to keep his weight off of her.

"I would rather you stopped talking and use that mouth to kiss me" she whispered.

"Oh, I can do more than that with this mouth" he responded, trailing kisses between her breasts and over her stomach. He traced a small circle around her belly button with his tongue and placed several kisses on the soft roundness of her stomach where the top of her sweat pants lay. Sliding one finger just inside the band of her sweatpants and running it lightly across her stomach teasingly, he felt her body tense.

He removed his hand, sliding it back up her rib cage as he slid his body along hers on his way up to kiss her.

"Just how much experience do you have with this, Angel? Did you and your boyfriend ever do anything?" He asked the question softly as he nibbled at her neck below her ear.

"Nothing more than kissing" she replied "And he put his hand on my breast once, while we were swimming at the pond. He was…it kind of hurt…" she saw Daryl flinch, remembering the day in the tower

"And you? What did you do? Did you touch him?"

"That same day….but he had his swim shorts on…."

Daryl made a small groan and rolled away from her to lie on his back. Beth rolled with him, laying her hand on his chest, afraid that he was going to change his mind about being with her.

"I know that I don't know how to do this, but I

"Stop that" Daryl replied quickly.

"What?" the confusion was clear in her voice.

"I aint changing my mind" he spoke quietly, "just have to get control and keep reminding myself that you are new at this….don't want me acting like the inexperienced virgin, do ya?" He said the words with a smile but he saw a shadow flicker across her face and something sad in her eyes.

"We don't have to do this if you aren't ready, Beth….I will never force you"

"Its not that" she replied, looking down at her hands, unable to meet his eyes. "Its just….well, I know that you…have been with other women who were experienced and beautiful and I….I don't want to disappoint you" she finished the sentence in a rush, cheeks flaming, too embarrassed to look at him.

Daryl reached out and raised her chin with his fingers, looking her in the eyes.

"I never had any woman as beautiful as you and you could never disappoint me…..hell, I am worried that I wont be what you….I have been with other women, but I never felt…like this…about any of them. I've never been in love before…."

He let the sentence trail off as he stared into her eyes as he reached down and began to unbutton his jeans. Beth's eyes widened watching him and she very tentatively reached her hand down and placed it on him, feeling the hardness of him through the denim, pressing the outline of him into her hand. Daryl dropped both hands to the bed beside him, gripping the blanket he lay on.

Beth stopped touching him, afraid she had hurt him.

"Go ahead baby, look and touch as much as you want" his voice was unsteady, a little rough.

She put her hand back on him, reaching to undo his jeans. She noticed there was no zipper on his jeans, but several buttons….

_Oh, my…that's hot…_

one at a time she undid them, letting her fingers linger for just a moment as each button came open. Daryl had closed his eyes and let his head fall back slightly on the bed, his body very still and tense.

Once all the buttons were open she slipped her hand inside his jeans, feeling the bare skin of his erection. He hadn't worn any underwear, either.

Daryl jerked when she touched him, a gasp escaping his lips and his breathing getting heavier.

_This was amazing, this new power she was feeling. _

She tried to move her hand over him, to feel more of him, but his jeans were still in the way. She gripped the top of them and Daryl raised his hips slightly for her, knowing what she wanted. Once she had his pants pulled down onto his thighs he kicked them off quickly, without ever raising up from his back.

Beth was frozen, staring at his body completely naked before her. He was lean, all tight muscles and strength. And that part of him….._oh, wow_….a little shiver of fear ran through her….she looked up at him as he lay so still and found him watching her…..

"You don't have to be afraid, remember what I said? We can stop any time you want" his words were soft and calming.

"No, I don't want to stop….its just….can….will…will you fit? Inside me?" She wrapped her hand lightly around him as she spoke, dropping her gaze to stare at his chest and abdomen.

Daryl's body jerked again as if she had shocked him and he reached up and slid his hands into her hair, pulling her down onto him so he could kiss her.

"Yes, beautiful" he answered her, breathing raggedly into her ear "we will fit together"

His hands on her back and sides were a little rougher now, he held her tighter as he stretched her out on top of him, the whole length of their bodies pressing together. She lay that way for several moments, feeling his bare chest on her breasts and his kisses making her breathless when she felt his hands slide down her back and inside her sweat pants as he gripped both of her buttocks and pressed her down against him. She gasped as a new strange feeling shot up through her stomach and made her legs tremble a little.

Daryl rolled them both over, trailing kisses along her jaw and down, over her collar bone and down the side of her breast and ribcage until he reached her hip bone and the top of her pants. She didn't flinch this time when he slid his hands inside her waistband and pulled the pants down her legs, dropping them beside the bed.

He lay on top of her, one hand in her hair and the other caressing her hip and thigh as he lowered his head and gently took her nipple into his mouth and began to suck on it….it was Beth's turn to buck underneath him but then she froze, thinking this was the moment.

"Shhh…relax…not yet…" he soothed her, kissing her again until she relaxed.

Releasing her breast he slid down on the bed, kissing her stomach and then the inside of her thighs as he parted her legs. She moaned as he touched the center of her with his tongue and began to squirm and writhe beneath him as he licked and sucked gently on her.

These were new feelings she had never even imagined and she couldn't think past what he was doing to her body, clenching her thighs around him when he gently slipped one finger inside her.

"Shhh…let go of me, baby….." Daryl coaxed her into relaxing again but she couldn't lie still when he began to stroke her with first one finger and then two, in and out as he continued to taste her.

When he stopped licking that sensitive spot and began to suck on it she exploded, crying out his name as she came, her body arching beneath him and her fingernails digging into his skin, not realizing she drew blood from his shoulders.

Daryl moved above her, kissing up her neck to her earlobe.

"Hold onto me, baby" he whispered as she felt the hardness of him pressing into her.

Still quivering from her orgasm, Beth felt him begin to slide inside her.

_This isn't too bad, maybe it wont hurt as much as…._

Daryl shifted above her, thrusting his hips forward to push completely inside her and gasped as he felt the barrier of her virginity tear.

_Oh my god! It was __**agony**__!_

She had known it would hurt but _**this**_….this was too much…this was more than she could stand.

The pain was so sharp she tried for a couple of seconds to push him off of her but Daryl held her tightly, whispering softly in her ear, trying to soothe her. He began to kiss her face, her cheeks, her eyes, and Beth realized she had tears streaming down her face.

"I'm so sorry, beautiful, I never want to make you cry, never"

Daryl pulled back, drawing almost completely out of her before pressing forward again and a small cry escaped her.

She pressed her face into his neck and shoulder, clinging to him tightly, trying not to let him see her tears. But he felt her body shaking as she began to sob, the pain more than she had imagined.

Daryl stopped moving and raised up on his forearms, looking into her eyes.

"This is too much for you, too soon…..maybe we should wait"

"NO!" her eyes were wide, bright with her tears "I want to make love with you….and it wont hurt after the first time, right?"

"Not as much, no…."

"Please don't stop, Daryl….I need you"

He kissed her and then tucked his face into her neck as he began a slow, gentle rhythm for them, his own body tense and tight with the knowledge that he was hurting her.

Gradually her quiet sobs ceased and her breathing eased a little as she relaxed, the pain lessening just enough that she was able to think about what he was doing, about the feel of him inside her. That part of him was so big and she was so small…..it was so tight, so much pressure…..she began to feel every stroke and she wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing his collarbone and even lifting her hips to meet him as he thrust into her.

After another minute Daryl ran his left hand down her right leg, straightening it out on the bed as he tucked her left leg up around his hip and rolled them over so that she was now on top of him, never breaking the connection of their bodies.

"You're in charge now, Angel" he whispered, placing both his hands on her hips and guiding her up and down, teaching her the rhythm between them.

This new position made him a little deeper and it took her a minute to get her balance and motion down, being careful to not go too fast. The pain wasn't completely gone but she was definitely beginning to enjoy this, having him inside her and now beneath her.

She put her hands on his chest and dug her fingers into the muscle there, pushing herself up and then sliding slowly back down him. She felt his whole body beginning to tense and tighten, small moans coming from him as she rode him.

Daryl reached one hand between them and placed his thumb on her sensitive nub and began to make small circles.

Even as she continued to move the way he had taught her, she felt that coiling low in her stomach and before she could catch her breath she exploded again, falling forward onto his chest, her hair in his face, convulsing around him.

He gripped her ass with both hands and made a few final powerful thrusts into her, his whole body quivering, both of them moaning as he came.

They lay together quietly for a couple of minutes, his hands roaming lightly over her body until she stopped shaking and could breathe again.

Daryl shifted to the side, laying her down beside him and pulling out of her gently.

Reaching for a bottle of water and a cloth lying on the chest at the foot of his bed he began to gently wipe the blood from her thighs.

She flinched slightly at his touch and he paused, looking into her face, suddenly unsure of what they had just done.

Beth reached up and touched his face lightly, tracing his bottom lip with her fingertips.

"I love you" she whispered "I love you, and that was perfect"

Daryl dropped the cloth he had used to clean them both and laid down beside her, pulling her into him.

"I love you, too, Angel".


	13. Chapter 13

**Daryl**

The next morning Daryl woke before Beth did and slipped out of bed, being careful not to wake her.

He noticed lines of blood on the sheet where he had been laying and frowned, stretching around to try and see the backs of his shoulders. He felt a stinging pull as he did and a trickle of blood began to run down his back.

Damn, but she had cut him up good.

He had always kept his shirt on when he was in bed with a woman and so had never had marks from nails before but Beth, in her passion (and pain, he thought a little guiltily) had left what felt more like cuts than scratches.

He would need to get some peroxide and bandages from inside to fix them up, the last thing he needed to have to explain to Carol was infected claw marks on his back. Since she was more or less the clans nurse these days if these became a problem she was the one who would need to see them and he would be damned if he would have the whole world know what he and Beth were doing in their private time.

He pulled a t-shirt on, shrugging a little at the strange feeling of having a shirt with sleeves in it. But he couldn't really wear his normal sleeveless button up right now, could he? And then there was the fact that Beth was sleeping in it, having gotten cold during the night.

He leaned over her and placed a soft kiss on her brow, whispering to her

"Be right back, Angel, have to go get something".

She rolled over and smiled up at him sleepily, nodding ok.

Daryl shrugged his jacket on, cringing at the weight on the cuts on his shoulders.

_When did you become such a pussy? A couple of little cuts from a woman's nails and you are running for the first aid kit?_

He shrugged the thought off, more concerned with keeping the others from knowing that he was sleeping with Beth. He knew his brother would have plenty to say about that and he would not let anyone talk bad about her. Wasn't any of their business.

Daryl went into the cell they used for their infirmary and quickly found a bottle of peroxide, some cotton swabs, and a few small bandages. He was just putting them into his jacket pockets when Maggie walked in.

"Have you seen my sister this morning? She wasn't in her room when I went to find her."

Her eyes and her tone were sharp and suspicious. He did not appreciate her looking at him like that.

What the hell did she think he had done?

_OH, yeah._ _Exactly what he __**HAD**__ done last night._

Daryl felt the blood rise in his face and he looked down quickly, turning to slide past her out the doorway.

"She's not lost. She isn't feeling well this morning so she is still laying down."

He walked away quickly before she had time to ask anymore questions, crossing the yard back to the small building where Beth was still in bed, waiting for him to return.

"Your sisters lookin for ya" he said as he closed the door, shrugging his jacket off. "Need ya to help me with something".

Beth sat up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. He noticed the way she watched him move and the burning look that came into her eyes when he pulled his t-shirt off.

"Oh, no, you don't. Not today. Going to take you a couple of days to recover from last night. Me, too, looks like"

He turned his back to her as he spoke and heard her gasp.

"Oh my god, I did that to you! Daryl, I am so sorry, I didn't realize…..

"No need for any of that, now, just help me get em cleaned and bandaged so I can keep em from being seen" he grinned over his shoulder at her, handing her the bottle of peroxide and the cotton swabs.

She soaked one of the cotton balls and began to gently wipe the blood from the cuts on his back, cringing when she heard him hiss at the pain.

She leaned forward and very gently kissed his back, close to the cuts.

"Thank you for last night, it was…incredible. I never imagined it could be like that. I am sorry I hurt you."

Daryl turned to answer her but the words froze when he saw the love in her eyes and he just leaned forward and kissed her very gently instead.

"_**What the **__**FUCK**__** is going on here?!" **_

Maggie had walked in on them, and her eyes had quickly taken in Daryl shirtless, Beth in his bed wearing nothing but his shirt, and the kiss.

"You said she wasn't feeling well and then you sneak out with bandages….I came to see if she was ok and I find her in your bed?!"

Daryl stood quickly, grabbing his t-shirt and pulling it on before he spoke.

"Get out, Maggie" Beth said quietly.

Daryl and Maggie both stared in openmouthed shock.

"What?" Maggie spluttered.

"You heard me. I said get out. What is _going on here_ is none of your business. I am a grown woman and if I choose to spend my nights with the man I love

"Man you love? Are you out of your mind? You are in _love_ with Daryl Dixon? Come on, Beth, let's get you back inside."

Maggie turned to Daryl, fire in her eyes.

"I don't know what you have done to my sister, but if you hurt her…

"For Gods sake Maggie **SHUT UP**! Does it look like he hurt me? **HE**'s the one who's bleeding! I am not going back inside with you, I am right where I want to be now **GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE**!"

Beth's voice had risen to a scream and she was shoving her sister out the open door as she spoke.

"And don't even think about going and getting Daddy or Rick or anybody else all upset about this, either. This is my decision. I love him and I will be with him if I have to walk my ass out of these prison walls today and never look back, do you hear me?"

She stared at Maggie for a couple more seconds and, satisfied that her sister was too shocked to say anything else, slammed the door in her face.

She turned back to find Daryl staring at her, shocked.

"Nosy bitch thinks she can run **MY** life, well I don't think so!"

Daryl's shock was gone and he began to laugh, great heaving laughter that had him holding his side and leaning against the wall.

"Its not funny, Daryl! I meant every word of it!"

He stopped laughing at that and stared at her for a few long seconds.

"Everything? You would leave this place and all these people to be with me?"

"You are damn right I would. You would keep me safe and we wouldn't starve."

Daryl's voice was low and soft when he answered her.

"I would die to keep you safe. But I would never ask you to leave the group for me."

"Then lets hope my meddling ass sister doesn't start trouble. Now turn around and let me fix those cuts."

Damn, but she was a bossy one.

**Beth**

Beth watched Daryl go out the door and across the yard, crossbow slung over his back. He was going out to hunt for the day.

She smiled to herself, recognizing now that slipping off into the woods was his way of having quiet time to think when something was on his mind.

After cleaning and bandaging his back she had tried to get him to come back to bed with her, but he resisted, insisting that he would not touch her again for a few days, until she had time to recover from last night.

As she dressed now she thought maybe he was right, cringing as she lifted her leg to pull her pants on. She _**was**_ pretty sore.

But she was angrier than that. How dare Maggie think she could barge in on them like that?

She was 18 years old and could make her own decisions, including who she was sleeping with.

Beth crossed the yard quickly, wishing again that she had not left her jacket inside last night. The cold air cut right through her thin shirt, making her nipples harden. She crossed her arms over her chest, blushing as she thought of Daryl's hands on her last night.

Still thinking about the things he had done to her in his bed, she walked right into Rick's chest.

"Oh, shit…..sorry" she stuttered.

She looked up and into his face, seeing that he was trying to hide his amusement.

Realizing how she must look to him with her hair that she had been unable to contain after last night pulled into a messy ponytail and her face red with her thoughts of Daryl she quickly looked down at the ground.

"Didn't mean to run into you, Rick, just trying to get back to my room"

"No problem" he replied, a soft smile on his face. "But next time you are going to be out so… early…, you might want to take a jacket…..and shoes" he looked pointedly down at her toes.

Beth blushed furiously but Rick didn't let her off the hook there.

"And Beth? Don't worry about Maggie. No one else is."

He laughed quietly as he stepped around her on his way outside.

What did he mean _no one else is_?

She looked around the hall quickly and realized that both Carol and Andrea were looking at her with sly little smiles on their faces and that Maggie was stomping away from their father who was shaking his head at the ground.

**Oh My God**. She had told _everyone._

Beth's first reaction was to go hide in her room and hope she didn't die of embarrassment but then she realized she wasn't embarrassed to have everyone know she was with Daryl. She loved him and was proud of it.

Her sister was the one who needed to hide.

From _**her.**_

She stomped across the room and stopped in front of Maggie.

"You Bitch!" she hissed. "I told you to mind your own business! Do you **want** me to never speak to you again? Why would you do that to me, you are my sister! What the **hell **is wrong with you? Do you want me to leave?"

Maggie gasped, tears springing to her eyes.

"No, of course not! I don't want you to end up like me!" her hand dropped to her protruding stomach. The baby was due in only a couple of weeks. "This fucked up world is no place to have a baby!" she cried, turning and running from the room.

Everyone was suddenly quiet, trying not to look at anyone else.

Glen made a choked sound and looked as if he had been punched in the gut.

_Well, shit._

Now she had to find her sister and try to make her feel better.


End file.
